Love in the Time of Traveling

Chapter 20: A Spitfire

The long awaited Gym rematch with Kabu is here! How will our spitfire fare? Let's find out in Chapter 20!

Chapter 20

A Spitfire

The sound of footsteps was dull, deafening thuds on the pavement. The voices were little but a roar that could have belonged to the seaside. The walls of Motostoke Stadium were towering, a massive edifice that represented the man waiting inside for the challenge to be brought. If one looked up further, the taller those walls became.

That was how Gloria stood outside of Motostoke Gym, attempting to control the raging tempest of emotions inside.

It was the site of her third Gym battle, but more importantly, it served as the site of her great failure. Now she had the chance to fix it, but she found she couldn't take even a single step forward. Her breath was caught in her throat and her hands had become clammy. She tried to rub them on the lower part of her dress, but found it did little to stop the sweat.

"You okay?" Marnie's nearby voice made her jump, and her friend jumped with her. "Ya look like you're about to throw up."

"Maybe I am..." Gloria's mutter instilled a little bit of courage in her, and she tried to take a step forward, only to catch sight of the television screens and banners outside the Gym. The local newscaster was showing off the upcoming Gym battles, hers included, and the banner featuring Kabu loomed over her.

"Rabu." The soft pat of Raboot's paw reminded Gloria of the Pokémon at her feet, and all of those that would be in the battle with her. She wasn't alone, and with them united, they would be able to defeat even Kabu.

"Right, I can do this. I can do this!" Gloria pumped her fists and slapped her cheeks a few times. Raboot nodded, pleased with her decision to move forward, and the pair stepped through the doors together.

As expected, they were met by the murmurs and whispers of the crowd from the day before, only this time it was amplified. All of these people were here to see her Gym match and no one else, and she was certain they all recognized her as the girl who'd flown too close to the sun. She still hoped to reverse those fortunes.

To cut them out, Gloria reverted to a tunnel vision, aiming right for the desk to check in. Leon, himself, could have been there and she wouldn't have noticed, though she did believe herself imagining him at some point, like a taunt of the mountain peak she wished to reach. It was secondary to the goal, and Gloria made sure to check herself in before striding right for the changing room.

The only big difference this time was that she wasn't alone. Her entire entourage was with her.

"You don't need to follow me, you know?"

"You look freaked out," Ash said. Pikachu jumped from his shoulder and onto one of the benches in the changing room, Morpeko giving chase. Gloria shook her head, feeling just a little bit babied as she shoved her bag in the locker and took out her uniform. "Just relax. Go with the flow of the battle and you'll come out on top."

"Go with the flow...That's not very helpful advice," Gloria said, stripping herself of her hat and cardigan, but pausing as she saw herself in the mirror. Her eyes looked tired, and her entire body was tense from head to toe. For someone who always pushed on, she was feeling remarkably hesitant when she saw the nervous wreck in the mirror. She wanted to smash it, but instead she turned to Ash, who was looking away to give her privacy. "How would you handle Kabu?"

"I'd just...hmm..." Ash entered the realm of his own thoughts for a moment, as if he'd never find an answer, but when Pikachu returned to his side, he seemed to come up with one. "Trust your Pokémon. Even if things seem rough, be flexible, but don't rely on one thing. Just believe in each other and you'll find your own way."